The restaurant has recently changed its name to Mikura from Makoto.We came in at 6:30pm on a Saturday evening and were seated at the bar with no wait. The height of the bar and the chairs were a little awkward for us; I'm 5'7 and my fiancé is 6'0, and we found the seating slightly uncomfortable. If you are on the taller side, expect to be hunched over!We ordered four kinds of yakitori, which you can opt to be seasoned with salt or sauce - Japanese mushroom, beef tongue, pork belly, and chicken thigh. All were tasty, and with the view from the bar, we could watch as they were grilled. Personal favorite was the mushroom - juicy and slightly sweet!Additionally, we ordered the fish of the day as an appetizer - grilled perch for $15. The fish was a bit bland and somewhat undercooked.For entrees, I got the zaru soba and my fiancé got the kurobuta tonkatsu, both of which come with miso soup, chawanmushi, and side dishes which included shell-on shrimp, tamagoyaki, konyaku, root veggies, amongst other things. I found many of the sides to either be too bland or too salty - for example the shrimp had no intrinsically shrimpy flavor nor was there any particularly perceptible seasoning or stock taste. The konyaku and garlic chives(?) on the other hand, were salty enough that I felt the need to "wash" the taste down with soba or tea immediately afterwards.My zaru soba had a more al dente texture than usual and a strong buckwheat taste. The dipping sauce came with green onion, ginger, wasabi, and raw quail egg, which was a pleasant surprise, as even some of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in NYC will avoid serving completely raw eggs.The kurobuta tonkatsu was okay, but does not taste like the kurobuta we have had before in Kagoshima (we weren't really expecting it to though). The cut of meat is a little more fatty and not as fibrous as one would expect. Honestly prefer Donburi or Katsu Go for tonkatsu around these parts (though they certainly don't deliver the same atmosphere).Although the food presentation was pretty on point, I did feel a little let down by some of the flavors compared to what I have had in Japan, NYC, and even locally for specific dishes. However, considering how DC has a relatively weaker reputation for Japanese cuisine, I can't really complain! The atmosphere is definitely a big part of the experience, and I do think I will be back for the yakitori and perhaps to try the $90 sukiyaki for 2 dinner.For my back's sake, I may try to come with a larger group so that I can be seated at the table instead of the bar...
zzz zzz
Hidden gem. Really authentic Japanese food. Like the grill + sake!Two suggestions to the owner:(1) the restaurant names are inconsistent between Google and Yelp. Is it Rakumi or Mikura? Keeping it one name otherwise people can hardly locate it across apps.(2) make this restaurant reservable through Open table or Yelp. Since this is a Japanese restaurant, many people may hesitate to go if the table is not secured.
Jessica Yi
This place is amazing! The chef is really dedicated. If you manage to get him talking, he has so much passion about his food and his ingredients, on top of being just a really nice guy. The yakitori (skewers) are a must try
Skin Of Child
Rakumi sold good, authentic Japanese food. 10/10 would recommend
Kunio Tanabe
Rakumi restaurant is located on MacArthur Blvd. across from the now closed Safeway at the same location as the once renowned Makoto. Unlike Makoto, the prices are very reasonable, with yakitori (skewered chicken and vegetables,etc.) as their main dish. Like Makoto, they have grilled fish, and a wide variety of appetizers and sake. The main course comes with an assortment of appetizers such as chawanmushi (custard soup). They do not serve sushi but upstairs at Kotobuki, they do. The owner is the same Mr. Abe. They do have sukiyaki and shabushabu and a variety of Japanese noodles but not ramen. Just opened a month ago. No, you are not required to take your shoes off and you can enter in any attire unlike the old Makoto.
The restaurant has recently changed its name to Mikura from Makoto.We came in at 6:30pm on a Saturday evening and were seated at the bar with no wait. The height of the bar and the chairs were a little awkward for us; I'm 5'7 and my fiancé is 6'0, and we found the seating slightly uncomfortable. If you are on the taller side, expect to be hunched over!We ordered four kinds of yakitori, which you can opt to be seasoned with salt or sauce - Japanese mushroom, beef tongue, pork belly, and chicken thigh. All were tasty, and with the view from the bar, we could watch as they were grilled. Personal favorite was the mushroom - juicy and slightly sweet!Additionally, we ordered the fish of the day as an appetizer - grilled perch for $15. The fish was a bit bland and somewhat undercooked.For entrees, I got the zaru soba and my fiancé got the kurobuta tonkatsu, both of which come with miso soup, chawanmushi, and side dishes which included shell-on shrimp, tamagoyaki, konyaku, root veggies, amongst other things. I found many of the sides to either be too bland or too salty - for example the shrimp had no intrinsically shrimpy flavor nor was there any particularly perceptible seasoning or stock taste. The konyaku and garlic chives(?) on the other hand, were salty enough that I felt the need to "wash" the taste down with soba or tea immediately afterwards.My zaru soba had a more al dente texture than usual and a strong buckwheat taste. The dipping sauce came with green onion, ginger, wasabi, and raw quail egg, which was a pleasant surprise, as even some of the most authentic Japanese restaurants in NYC will avoid serving completely raw eggs.The kurobuta tonkatsu was okay, but does not taste like the kurobuta we have had before in Kagoshima (we weren't really expecting it to though). The cut of meat is a little more fatty and not as fibrous as one would expect. Honestly prefer Donburi or Katsu Go for tonkatsu around these parts (though they certainly don't deliver the same atmosphere).Although the food presentation was pretty on point, I did feel a little let down by some of the flavors compared to what I have had in Japan, NYC, and even locally for specific dishes. However, considering how DC has a relatively weaker reputation for Japanese cuisine, I can't really complain! The atmosphere is definitely a big part of the experience, and I do think I will be back for the yakitori and perhaps to try the $90 sukiyaki for 2 dinner.For my back's sake, I may try to come with a larger group so that I can be seated at the table instead of the bar...
Hidden gem. Really authentic Japanese food. Like the grill + sake!Two suggestions to the owner:(1) the restaurant names are inconsistent between Google and Yelp. Is it Rakumi or Mikura? Keeping it one name otherwise people can hardly locate it across apps.(2) make this restaurant reservable through Open table or Yelp. Since this is a Japanese restaurant, many people may hesitate to go if the table is not secured.
This place is amazing! The chef is really dedicated. If you manage to get him talking, he has so much passion about his food and his ingredients, on top of being just a really nice guy. The yakitori (skewers) are a must try
Rakumi sold good, authentic Japanese food. 10/10 would recommend
Rakumi restaurant is located on MacArthur Blvd. across from the now closed Safeway at the same location as the once renowned Makoto. Unlike Makoto, the prices are very reasonable, with yakitori (skewered chicken and vegetables,etc.) as their main dish. Like Makoto, they have grilled fish, and a wide variety of appetizers and sake. The main course comes with an assortment of appetizers such as chawanmushi (custard soup). They do not serve sushi but upstairs at Kotobuki, they do. The owner is the same Mr. Abe. They do have sukiyaki and shabushabu and a variety of Japanese noodles but not ramen. Just opened a month ago. No, you are not required to take your shoes off and you can enter in any attire unlike the old Makoto.
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